Fanboys Anonymous

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be taking focusing on my theory of what we're in store for with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

NOTE #1: It's important to state that this is not what I would do for the film, but what I think they've done in making the movie. I likely would have gone with some entirely different plot points, if not a wholly different film in general.

NOTE #2: I have stayed away from any spoilers. I won't be reading any comments, either, until after I've seen the movie.

The movie opens with Shuri as an ambassador for Wakanda currently in America, looking into Riri Williams (Ironheart) who is part of some scholarship program or whatever. This outreach idea that the first film ended with has been one of Shuri's primary focuses in the past few years (minus The Blip and everything surrounding that.)

Then, there is an attack on Wakanda from Atlantis. T'challa is killed in the battle. Shuri must return home to mourn and weigh in on the kingdom's status.

Mourning is simultaneously happening as they are deliberating what to do with this conflict and the lack of a Black Panther and king. Shuri is thrust into the role, despite not being capable of juggling either of them at the same time. I think it's a bit of a stretch for us to just assume Shuri's become a fantastic warrior and her whole character of "the smart one" has changed since we last saw her. She can be the queen of Wakanda, but I don't think her character can juggle that responsibility, being the smart one AND being the fighter in the costume. That's absurd.

Maybe there's a change to how things are done. Instead of one person taking on this responsibility, there can be a sort of committee. Okoye is the leader of the military force. M'Baku can don the Black Panther armor as its superhero protector representative. Nakia can be one of the governing leaders.

I struggle to think of how they might introduce someone like Kevin Cole as a new Black Panther, for instance, or how they can age up a child of T'challa to take on that role or anything of that sort, but maybe I'm missing some part of the plot that makes this all make sense.

Anyway, the Atlantis attack has Everett Ross talking about the feud between the kingdoms. Someone needs to settle this conflict.

This whole war has been orchestrated by Attuma. Namor has been falling for his influence this whole time and is a villain who sees the error of his ways and eventually sides with Wakanda to fight Attuma, ending the movie as an antihero, in a sense.

Adjustment Note: About 10 minutes after publishing, I did think of something that may put a wrinkle on this. M'Baku  wasn't a worshiper of Bast. Maybe he can't necessarily become Black Panther. Instead, maybe he is the king of Wakanda, and they really are going to just go with Shuri as Black Panther. While that's a stretch that she somehow becomes a fighter, it at least keeps the BP name within the family, and since Riri Williams is being introduced, she'll be a replacement of the "super intelligent young black girl" role that Shuri was filling. I'm starting to think this is actually what they'll do, rather than my suggestion above.

THE ORIGINAL IDEA:

What I assume we were originally going to get is similar in some respects, but also quite different in others.

The movie would have been largely about the differences between how T'challa rules Wakanda as its fighter/protector and king, versus Namor doing the same for Atlantis. I still think Attuma would have been the main villain they would team up to fight, and I still think it would be Wakanda vs. Atlantis for the most part.

Shuri probably would have only ever really dealt with Riri Williams and not had as much focus on her.

M'Baku and Okoye would just be on the warrior side of things in the fight against Atlantis.

The movie likely still would have ended with a truce between Wakanda and Atlantis, wherein we'd find out that Doctor Doom was orchestrating even Attuma as the bigger villain behind the plot, trying to get reserves of Vibranium and whatever Atlantis has to offer.

Until we get some teaser or trailer that can show us more, that's what I'm working with. When that happens, maybe I'll update this post with some new theories and a Take 2 prediction.

That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be taking a red pill and spelling out my fan theory of what we're in store for with The Matrix Resurrections

NOTE #1: It's important to state that this is not what I would do for the film, but what I think they've done in making the movie. I likely would have gone with some entirely different plot points, if not a wholly different film in general.

NOTE #2: I have stayed away from any spoilers. I won't be reading any comments, either, until after I've seen the movie.

The movie opens with Thomas Anderson living a normal life in what is fashioned to be 2021. Of course, while everything seems normal, that's not the reality. We've seen this song and dance before. He starts questioning the world around him, particularly as he has visions/dreams of the previous movies and senses a longing for Trinity.

His therapist writes this off as nonsense. I'm actually wondering if Anderson will be portrayed as a filmmaker or video game designer who created an IP called The Matrix and that's why we have that guy who looks like a Hollywood agent saying "going back to where it all started; back to The Matrix" like he's going to revisit the idea for a sequel. The therapist could even specify he thinks Anderson is wrapped up in his own creation and imagining that it exists for real, but clearly, that's just a delusion.

Then, Anderson's reached out to by Morpheus and we go back to the whole world-breaking "this is the true reality behind the scenes" stuff. Anderson has some time where he doesn't remember everything, but he remembers bits and pieces, so we can explain things to the audience but not have to go through it all. Back-tracking, but the speedy process.

This version of Morpheus looks different, though. I'm not sure how they'll write that idea into there, but I'm thinking it'll be that this is a reboot of the system and he's been cloned or something like that. That would maybe explain how Trinity is alive, too, but this is all just speculation.

I think Jessica Henwick's character, Bugs, is the new version of The One. I expect her to be the key to everything—not just the overall new hero that the torch is being passed to, but the entire reason why they made this film. The Wachowskis will have this as a reflection of themselves.

I'm hoping there isn't just some "peace didn't last and now we're back to the war against the machines again" nonsense like they did with the sequel trilogy of Star Wars. That defeats the whole purpose of the previous films. Instead, I'd rather it be a new faction causing some problems or a new glitch or something.

By the end, I'm expecting Neo to sacrifice himself and either be turned into code and/or merged with Bugs. That way, Keanu Reeves doesn't need to return, but there's an option for it if they want to explore that, and the real figurehead hero will be Bugs.

That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be tackling my fan theory of what we're in store for with the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: No Way Home

NOTE #1: It's important to state that this is not what I would do for the film, but what I think they've done in making the movie. I likely would have gone with some entirely different plot points, if not a wholly different film in general. Then again, my Spider-Man films wouldn't have had a character named Michelle Jones being called MJ and a version of Flash Thompson who is even more of a geek than Peter, so they've already well deviated from that.

NOTE #2: I have stayed away from any spoilers. I won't be reading any comments, either, until after I've seen the movie.

The movie opens with Peter Parker's identity being revealed from the end of the previous film. He rushes around New York, not knowing what to do. Eventually, he gets a phone call from Aunt May that police have shown up and he has to be home right away.

This may lead to his arrest and/or being taken in to the police station. If I were making the movie, I'd make sure there were some cameos of Jean DeWolff and such, but I'm not expecting that. What I AM expecting, though, is for Peter to have Matt Murdock as his defense attorney.

I think we'll get time jumps. This won't take place over one bad weekend or something. It'll be weeks, if not months.

Peter will be on some sort of probation or trial with the pending investigation that Murdock will be looking into the case for.

Over the course of several weeks or so, Peter will try to adjust to the world knowing his identity, but that will result in some problems. He'll most likely not be Spider-Man anymore, as he's trying to say that he's not the webslinger and any activity will be too suspicious. Maybe people will even start to question that that's obvious he IS Spider-Man, then, because Spider-Man hasn't been seen since the outing.

Issues will arise. J. Jonah Jameson spearheads the verbal attacks and propaganda. Peter will get increasingly more frustrated, if not scared for everyone else's lives. Maybe someone throws a brick through his home or something along those lines. Aunt May could be accosted or even targeted for a mugging or something to prove the severity of people in his life now being in danger.

Peter goes to talk to Doctor Strange. They have that discussion about the spell to make it so everyone forgets. Peter gets nervous that MJ and Ned will forget and has hesitations, which botch the spell.

That's when the multiverse starts leaking. Variants of the other villains bleed into this universe.

It seems like the explanation they're going with is that they all are supposed to die from Spider-Man's hand in their universes, but this has plucked them from that part of their timelines. That seems strange, but whatever.

Doctor Strange realizes this is going on and informs Peter of it. Strange wants to imprison them. Peter's good heart gets the better of him and he falls victim to some boo hoo, probably from Doc Ock, where he thinks it's inhumane to imprison them. They should be sent back to their universes.

That's when Peter steals the box that Doctor Strange is seen fighting with him over in the trailers. They have their mind warp action sequence. Peter accidentally makes things even worse.

Most of the rest of the film is spent trying to round them up. In the process, Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man also come through portals to help fight them off.

They impart some wisdom, possibly repeating Uncle Ben's trademark line. If any of them dies, I think it's Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man in a self-sacrifice moment.

The "do it" line that Peter says in the trailer, seemingly to Doctor Strange, is something I'm torn on. Either it's what I'm fearing, which is that Strange can only send Peter to another dimension and there's no way home back into the MCU, meaning Sony just does their own Spider-Man movies again and he's no longer in the MCU, or what I'm hoping is the case, which is that Strange says the only way he can stop some sort of cataclysm is to somewhat merge the universes together. That way, we get Venom at the end of this and it means there's more interconnectivity.

My ideal scenario is that Sony gets taken out of the Spider-Man business entirely, but that's not happening. Maybe there's a third option, though. Maybe it's something like Doctor Strange can only seal the portals if he indeed makes everyone forget Peter's identity like the beginning spell was trying to do, meaning MJ has to forget again and such.

I can't imagine this movie ends with Peter's identity still being public. I don't think Aunt May will die. Happy Hogan might, but I'm not banking on May, MJ or Ned getting killed off.

I don't think there will be any surprise reveals that Mysterio is still alive and concocted this whole thing. Maybe, just maybe, there's a Kingpin reference if they have that all planned out with Hawkeye and Daredevil.

As mentioned, the post-credit will involve Venom, but there may also be something about Morbius to try to spark some interest in people seeing that movie. There may also be something about Multiverse of Madness.

That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be tackling my fan theory of what we're in store for with the third true installment in the Ghostbusters franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife

NOTE: It's important to state that this is not what I would do for the film, but what I think they've done in making the movie. I likely would have gone with some entirely different plot points, if not a wholly different film in general. — In fact, if you want to know my pitch for Ghostbusters III from the very first post published on this website, click here for that story.

This movie doesn't strike me as the type that will start with something too big like an action sequence to "make sure the audience is sold from the start." Instead, I think we're diving right into the family dynamics to establish the new characters, as that will be important. It's their journey we're following and we don't know them.

Who are they? Well, based on the trailers, it seems Egon had a kid at some point before the first film with someone he was estranged enough from that she never factored into the two movies. I say this because Carrie Coon is 40 years old (born in 1981) and if she were to have been born after Ghostbusters II, that's an 8 year difference at least. For her to be 32 and for Finn Wolfhard to be 18, she'd have to be pregnant at 14, which isn't a plot point I'd imagine they'd want to get into.

Sooooo let's just say they write it off as either he had a kid he didn't know about until later on, or that they never mentioned his daughter in the other movies because he was divorced. The plot won't focus much on this at all. It'll be pushed aside as just "he had a kid in some fashion, so let's move on." I don't think it'll be a situation where her mother is Janine as I haven't seen any of these characters referred to as having the surname Melnitz. Nor Spengler, for that matter. But let's brush past the potential deadbeat dad aspect and move on.

Egon's daughter, Callie, grew up largely without his presence in her life. She had a son (Trevor, Finn Wolfhard) and a daughter (Phoebe, McKenna Grace). As they say in the trailers, they're broke at the start of the story and they have to move into this old farmhouse that was left to them by Egon, who dies at the start of the movie or just prior to it and has gifted this to them in his will. Maybe the will acts as a driving force of the plot in other ways, like hinting at the secrets he was looking into and such. Maybe it's just a means for them to go there in particular.

Trevoris a troubled, but good kid. He's one of those "I need to rebel because I'm angry about my parents, but I'll watch out for my little sister and I'm actually responsible" types of adolescents who we can recognize as a handful at the start of the movie without not being able to root for him later on. Phoebe fits into the socially awkward genius trope. Clearly, she takes after her grandfather, who collects spores, molds and fungus. Moving to a new school and all has its own challenges. Finn's all "this town suuuuucks" and Phoebe's only able to connect with maybe the kid called Podcast and her teacher, Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd).

Callie and Mr. Grooberson have the "romantic" subplot. IE, if anyone is going to shack up in the movie, it's either those two, or Trevor gets a girlfriend (Lucky), but it's probably not a huge focal point. They'll just be the Keymaster and Gatekeeper to Gozer.

Toward the start of the movie, when they are looking at the new house, someone unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will lead to the ghost outbreak. Throughout the film, an abandoned mine shaft (Shandor Mining Co) is the source of all this ghostly activity. It was created by Ivo Shandor as another place to summon ghosts and worship Gozer. Egon moved there to study it and try to make sure nothing ever happened like the incident in 1984 ever again.

The original Ghostbusters had seen split up and figured there was nothing else going on. As Mr. Grooberson says in the trailer, there hasn't been a ghost sighting in 30 years. What do you do as exterminators of a pest that doesn't have any clientele? The second film shows them down on their luck already not being popular enough for stupid birthday parties and the like, so they couldn't possibly have kept the business going for another 30 years even after the Statue of Liberty incident. Nobody's popularity is indefinite.

I'm assuming/hoping Dana and Peter settled down. I'd love for "Oscar Venkman" to be confirmed in some fashion and maybe show up in the sequel to this, if there is one (and I assume if it's perceived well, there will be a follow-up). Ray seems to have a shop of some kind and seems bitter, so maybe he's just sole old tech junkie nutjob type who babbles nonsense to most people. Winston's an average Joe, so he just did average Joe things.

After Trevor restores the Ecto-1, they get the equipment up and running, and Phoebe works with Mr. Grooberson on deciphering what's going on with the earthquakes in town. they start trying to bring down the ghosts like Muncher. That is, until the dogs come out to play.

Then, basically, we get the end of Ghostbusters I once more. Gozer is back, has the Keymaster/Grooberson and Gatekeeper/Callie as minions, and it's up to our rag tag group of heroes to save the day. I don't think we're going to see the original team suit up to fight with them, but if we're lucky, that happens. If that does happen, I think they all die in the process to save the kids.

At the end, all is well. Gozer's done forever and we have our new team (Trevor, Phoebe, Lucky, Podcast, maybe some others, with Callie and Mr. Grooberson supervising them as, you know, adults) in case anything happens in the future, which is implied to be a possibility after we see Muncher interacting with Slimer to pop the audience.

That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be tackling my fan theory of what we're in store for with the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die.

NOTE: It's important to state that this is not what I would do for the film, but what I think they've done in making the movie. I likely would have gone with some entirely different plot points, if not a wholly different film in general.

To my despair, I don't think this movie starts with a traditional gun barrel. For the fourth out of five films, I think they're going to talk themselves out of it by saying James Bond's retired and there's no logical means of showing the gun barrel without being deceptive, blah blah blah. I really hope we don't see Lashana Lynch's Nomi in the gun barrel just because she's 007 now.

Our opening sequence will probably be just of the villains doing something dastardly. They kill some scientists or whatever. Then, Nomi is there to look into it and she manages to get some sort of clue that will help drive the plot, but she's unsuccessful in stopping the villains from executing part of their plan.

Cue titles and main theme.

Let's check up on where Bond is. He's with Madeleine Swann in Jamaica. They've settled down five years or so ago after Spectre and they're madly in love, but possibly, Bond is a little bored. He misses the life of being a 00 agent, but he knows what he's doing now is safer. There's some sort of hint that there's something else going on in their lives, but we're not told what. This will be massively important later.

Based on the clues, MI6 finds out that the person behind all this madness is Safin, and that he has ties to SPECTRE. Since nobody knows that organization as well as Bond, they reach out to him to try to get his thoughts on helping out. He's hesitant, back-and-forth about it, until Madeleine hears that it has to do with Safin. She reacts stunned and basically tells James that he needs to do this because if Safin is involved, it can't be good. Mysteriously, we don't know why she's all upset, and she refuses to say why. This drives a wedge between the two that will get deeper as the film goes on.

The bulk of the film is trying to figure out more information on Safin's plan, which will eventually be revealed as some sort of biological warfare. Plot elements along the way that are interwoven with that are:

• Madeleine helped Safin study the rare plants or procedures or whatever that led to him being able to create this biological weapon. That's what she's ashamed of. Bond is upset with her and how she could do something so bad, even though she didn't really know at the time what she was doing.
• Safin's project started as an operation under SPECTRE. Ernst Stavro Blofeld knows this and that's why Bond has to speak to him in Hannibal Lecter mode to get information. Blofeld's probably barely in the movie.
• Bond continually butts heads with Nomi because she's his replacement and he doesn't respect her yet. In typical fashion, being afraid of writing a compelling character that has nuance, she'll fall victim to the trope of "utterly perfect and annoyingly snarky at the main character to prove that she's a super strong independent woman who is better at him at everything he's ever done, follows the rules just like M wants, has a great relationship with Q and Moneypenny and Tanner, and they're all just super fond of her because she's not as insufferable as Bond." The audience will be basically told to like her, but if anyone comes out of the movie thinking she was a Mary Sue, they'll be called sexist and/or racist, instead of just preferring when characters have depth and aren't perfect.
• Paloma is just an agent who Felix Leiter knows and recommends because Bond and company need to check stuff out in the area she's his best contact for. She's probably in a handful of scenes and I'd imagine she might be killed as the sacrificial lamb for one part of this, or she helps them with something and then promptly tells them this isn't her mission and they leave and don't see her for the rest of the film.
• No idea about Logan Ash. I don't trust that he's not a villain, though. If he's framed as a hero, he'll be a double agent. It's not going to be Nomi.
  

Throughout the bulk of the story, they're going to realize that Safin's plan is to release this biological weapon to thin out the population and pull a Karl Stromberg / Hugo Drax style "save the world by getting rid of humans except for the chosen ones I've handpicked" setup. That's why Bond says in the trailer that if they don't do whatever dangerous mission it is, there will be no one left to save.

Why is Bond so adamantly trying to save the world, other than because he's a good guy and a hero? Because he has a secret that we've been alluding to the whole film that we still haven't revealed yet.

At the end of the movie, Nomi is incapacitated. She's not killed, but she's put out of commission, maybe by means of an injury, maybe she's tasked with guarding something or doing another objective, but she's not doing the main "kill Safin and directly stop the madman" part of the mission. She's working with Q and them, I guess. I don't know. The point is, this isn't Nomi's win, as Bond is the main character and he still should be the main hero, too.

Madeleine may very well die. These films in the Craig era love the tragedy angle. There's a solid chance Bond himself dies, too, or instead of Madeleine. However, as much as I think there's going to be a push to kill off Bond so Nomi can be 007 going forward and they'll try to make at least one movie focused entirely on her, if not just as an experiment where they act like it's a "buffer" before recasting a new James Bond, but to make it seem like they're appealing to the woke audience and undoing all the sexism of the series, blah blah, I do ultimately think they'll be smart enough not to actually kill off James Bond.

What I do think, however, is that we're getting a reveal that Bond has gone back into retirement in Jamaica because of that mysterious secret that they've teased the whole film. And here's where the big twist comes in.

Whether Madeleine is alive or not, Bond has chosen to go back into retirement because of the real Bond girl in the film—not Madeleine, not Paloma, not Nomi, not Moneypenny...but HIS DAUGHTER.

That's right. I'm predicting an Iron Man mixed with Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother scenario here. They'll make it so how in Skyfall, the main "Bond girl" was essentially M and the love was more of a mother/son relationship, while this one is more of a father/daughter love and she's the girl he ends up with at the finale, just playing with her and her toys or something. Rather than killing off the character or having him go into a retirement for a romantic love interest, wherein we know he wouldn't be comfortable just being a normal guy, he's found the emotional depth to be a father and that's the responsible thing to do, to keep her out of the life of the spy game and all.

That's what I'm expecting to happen, but what do you think?
Give your predictions and thoughts on my guesses in the comments below!

The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will take place September 20, 2020, broadcast by ABC.

Here is a list of the nominees in all of the categories and some thoughts on this year's predictions and such.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Dead to Me (Netflix)
The Good Place (NBC)
Insecure (HBO)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Schitt's Creek (Pop TV)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Thoughts: I haven't seen a single one of these.

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Killing Eve (BBC America)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Ozark (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Succession (HBO)

Thoughts: Ozark and Stranger Things are so good. If either of those win, I'm a big fan. The Mandalorian was surprisingly good, too, but I'd prefer the other two.

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Thoughts: I don't watch any of these.

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Thoughts: I haven't seen any of these, unless you count previous years of SNL. Not this year.

Outstanding Limited Series

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Mrs. America (FX)
Unbelievable (Netflix)
Unorthodox (Netflix)
Watchmen (HBO)

Thoughts: I stopped watching Watchmen after the first episode. I couldn't get into it. The rest, I hadn't even heard of at all.

Outstanding Television Movie

American Son (Netflix)
Bad Education (HBO)
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: These Old Bones (Netflix)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend (Netflix)

Thoughts: Never seen them or heard of most of them.

Outstanding Competition Program

The Masked Singer (Fox)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)

Thoughts: These aren't for me.


Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson Sr. on Black-ish (ABC)
Don Cheadle as Mo Monroe on Black Monday (Showtime)
Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (NBC)
Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky on The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop TV)
Ramy Youssef as Ramy Hassan on Ramy (Hulu)

Thoughts: I've got no horse in this race (you're going to see that pop up quite a bit here).

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate as Jen Harding on Dead to Me (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale on Dead to Me (Netflix)
Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop TV)
Issa Rae as Issa Dee on Insecure (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (ABC)

Thoughts: No horse in this race.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman as Martin "Marty" Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Steve Carell as Mitch Kessler on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Brian Cox as Logan Roy on Succession (HBO)
Billy Porter as Pray Tell on Pose (FX)
Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy on Succession (HBO)

Thoughts: Jason Bateman!!!!

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown (Netflix)
Jodie Comer as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Zendaya as Rue Bennett on Euphoria (HBO)

Thoughts: Ozark is great. Give it to Laura Linney. She's awesome.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeremy Irons as Adrien Veidt on Watchmen (HBO)
Hugh Jackman as Dr. Frank Tassone on Bad Education (HBO)
Paul Mescal as Connell Waldron on Normal People (Hulu)
Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman on Hollywood (Netflix)
Mark Ruffalo as Dominick and Thomas Birdsey on I Know This Much Is True (HBO)

Thoughts: I haven't seen any of these except the first episode of Watchmen, as I said. But I totally bought Irons as Veidt. Maybe it would be cool for him to win.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly on Mrs. America (FX)
Shira Haas as Esther "Esty" Shapiro on Unorthodox (Netflix)
Regina King as Angela Abar / Sister Night on Watchmen (HBO)
Octavia Spencer as Madam C. J. Walker on Self Made (Netflix)
Kerry Washington as Mia Warren on Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)

Thoughts: No horse in this race.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Mahershala Ali as Sheikh Ali Malik on Ramy (Hulu)
Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander on The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Sterling K. Brown as Reggie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye on The Good Place (NBC)
Dan Levy as David Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop TV)
Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Thoughts: I love Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Maybe Braugher isn't the right person to win, but I don't know, since I can't compare to the others. But I do know I love his work as Holt.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
D'Arcy Carden as Janet on The Good Place (NBC)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie Eagan on GLOW (Netflix)
Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop TV)
Yvonne Orji as Molly Carter on Insecure (HBO)
Cecily Strong as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Thoughts: GLOW is great. I doubt Gilpin will win, but it's nice to see her recognized. I'm also shocked she's considered a supporting actress. Isn't she one of the three leads along with Alison Brie and Marc Maron?

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch on Succession (HBO)
Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy on Succession (HBO)
Mark Duplass as Charlie "Chip" Black on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring on Better Call Saul (AMC)
Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans on Succession (HBO)
Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe on Westworld (HBO)

Thoughts: Westworld is the only one I've seen. I love Wright as Bernard, but I'll have to admit that the first season was significantly better for this show than 2 and 3.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret on The Crown (Netflix)
Laura Dern as Renata Klein on Big Little Lies (HBO)
Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore on Ozark (Netflix)
Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay on Westworld (HBO)
Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Sarah Snook as Siobhan "Shiv" Roy on Succession (HBO)
Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright on Big Little Lies (HBO)
Samira Wiley as Moira Strand on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

Thoughts: Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore is one of the true highlights of Ozark. I'd love to see her win.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Calvin "Cal" Abar / Doctor Manhattan on Watchmen (HBO)
Jovan Adepo as young Will Reeves on Watchmen (HBO)
Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend (Netflix)
Louis Gossett Jr. as Will Reeves on Watchmen (HBO)
Dylan McDermott as Ernest "Ernie" West on Hollywood (Netflix)
Jim Parsons as Henry Willson on Hollywood (Netflix)

Thoughts: No horse in this race.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm on Mrs. America (FX)
Toni Collette as Det. Grace Rasmussen on Unbelievable (Netflix)
Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug on Mrs. America (FX)
Jean Smart as Laurie Blake on Watchmen (HBO)
Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid on Hollywood (Netflix)
Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan on Mrs. America (FX)

Thoughts: No idea.


Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

The Great (Episode: "The Great (Pilot)"), Directed by Matt Shakman (Hulu)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "It's Comedy or Cabbage"), Directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Prime Video)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Marvelous Radio"), Directed by Daniel Palladino (Prime Video)
Modern Family (Episode: "Finale Part 2"), Directed by Gail Mancuso (ABC)
Ramy (Episode: "Miakhalifa.mov"), Directed by Ramy Youssef (Hulu)
Schitt's Creek (Episode: "Happy Ending"), Directed by Andrew Cividino and Dan Levy (Pop TV)
Will & Grace (Episode: "We Love Lucy"), Directed by James Burrows (NBC)

Thoughts: I enjoyed the Modern Family finale. Let's go with that.

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

The Crown (Episode: "Aberfan"), Directed by Benjamin Caron (Netflix)
The Crown (Episode: "Cri de Coeur"), Directed by Jessica Hobbs (Netflix)
Homeland (Episode: "Prisoners of War"), Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Showtime)
The Morning Show (Episode: "The Interview"), Directed by Mimi Leder (Apple TV+)
Ozark (Episode: "Fire Pink"), Directed by Alik Sakharov (Netflix)
Ozark (Episode: "Su Casa Es Mi Casa"), Directed by Ben Semanoff (Netflix)
Succession (Episode: "Hunting"), Directed by Andrij Parekh (HBO)
Succession (Episode: "This Is Not for Tears"), Directed by Mark Mylod (HBO)

Thoughts: Hey, if you want to give Ozark another win, I'm down for it.

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

62nd Grammy Awards, directed by Louis J. Horvitz
72rd Annual Tony Awards, directed by Glenn Weiss
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones, directed by Stan Lathan
Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: "All In The Family" And "Good Times", directed by Andy Fisher and Pamela Fryman
Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Starring Jennifer Lopez And Shakira, directed by Hamish Hamilton

Thoughts: Let's go with Dave Chappelle.

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Episode: "Born at Night, But Not Last Night"), Directed by Dime Davis (HBO)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Episode: Dr. Fauci Answers Trevor's Questions About Coronavirus), Directed by David Paul Meyer (Comedy Central)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Episode 629"), Directed by Paul Pennolino and Christopher Werner (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Live Show; Chris Christie; Nathaniel Rateliff), Directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Eddie Murphy"), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)
Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready (Episode: "Flame Monroe"), Directed by Linda Mendoza (Netflix)

Thoughts: n/a

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Little Fires Everywhere (Episode: "Find a Way"), Directed by Lynn Shelton (Hulu)
Normal People (Episode: "Episode 5"), Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Hulu)
Unorthodox, Directed by Maria Schrader (Netflix)
Watchmen (Episode: "It's Summer and We're Running out of Ice"), Directed by Nicole Kassell (HBO)
Watchmen (Episode: "Little Fear of Lightning"), Directed by Steph Green (HBO)
Watchmen (Episode: "This Extraordinary Being"), Directed by Stephen Williams (HBO)

Thoughts: n/a


Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

The Good Place (Episode: "Whenever You're Ready"), Written by Michael Schur (NBC)
The Great (Episode: "The Great"), Written by Tony McNamara (Hulu)
Schitt's Creek (Episode: "Happy Ending"), Written by Daniel Levy (Pop TV)
Schitt's Creek (Episode: "The Presidential Suite"), Written by David West Read (Pop TV)
What We Do in the Shadows (Episode: "Collaboration"), Written by Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil (FX)
What We Do in the Shadows (Episode: "Ghosts"), Written by Paul Simms (FX)
What We Do in the Shadows (Episode: "On the Run"), Written by Stefani Robinson (FX)

Thoughts: n/a

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Better Call Saul (Episode: "Bad Choice Road"), Written by Thomas Schnauz (AMC)
Better Call Saul (Episode: "Bagman"), Written by Gordon Smith (AMC)
The Crown (Episode: "Aberfan"), Written by Peter Morgan (Netflix)
Ozark (Episode: "All In"), Written by Chris Mundy (Netflix)
Ozark (Episode: "Boss Fight"), Written by John Shiban (Netflix)
Ozark (Episode: "Fire Pink"), Written by Miki Johnson (Netflix)
Succession (Episode: "This Is Not for Tears"), Written by Jesse Armstrong (HBO)

Thoughts: General rule of thumb is to give things to Ozark, cause I love that show and I haven't seen the others.

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones (Netflix)
Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (Netflix)
John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch (Netflix)
Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything (Netflix)
Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby (Netflix)

Thoughts: I've only seen Chappelle.

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Thoughts: n/a

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Mrs. America (Episode: "Shirley"), Written by Tanya Barfield (FX)
Normal People (Episode: "Episode 3"), Written by Sally Rooney and Alice Birch (Hulu)
Unbelievable (Episode: "Episode 1"), Written by Susannah Grant, Michael Chabon, and Ayelet Waldman (Netflix)
Unorthodox (Episode: "Part 1"), Written by Anna Winger (Netflix)
Watchmen (Episode: "This Extraordinary Being"), Written by Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson (HBO)

Thoughts: n/a

Is that the most entertaining round of thoughts? Of course not. But hey, who has time to watch all these shows? At the very least, I'm surprised more wasn't given to Modern Family for its last season, but I'm happy Ozark is being recognized.

As far as what I've been watching this year? This season of The Twilight Zone sucked. Westworld was meh. The Purge was interesting, but there's no way it would be nominated for anything. I'm excited to see Lucifer's next season. Harley Quinn is a great cartoon. I'm finally binging The Office, if that's worth some points in your book!

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be tackling my fan theory of what we're in store for with the latest Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker.

The movie starts with a shot of space. I'm kidding, of course it does. That's no prediction.

At the beginning of the movie, it's established that some time has finally passed by, unlike The Last Jedi. I still don't understand why they chose to structure these movies like they did...but I won't rant too much in this post. I'll at least try not to.

I'm assuming we start with an attack. That way, we can see Kylo Ren brooding and being pissy while slicing his way through the galaxy and establish whatever version of Death Star they plan on making the "big threat" of this movie. It seems like it's Star Destroyers that have the abilities of the Death Star. Real original.

Maybe we cut to Rey feeling that through The Force, or maybe we just go straight to Rey. In any fashion, we see that she's grown even more powerful, if you could imagine that. They've skipped over her training, just like how she could skip over everything to reach the point she was at in The Force Awakens, since she's not a real character, but just a shell of an idea. Sorry, I'm ranting again.

Basically, she started at level 90 in Pokemon and over the course of the last film and this one, she's been given 10 more Rare Candies and is now at the top of her game. She's still having visions and psychic connections to Kylo Ren and she's one of the only people in the Rebel Alliance Resistance who is worth a damn in the fight against the Empire First Order.

The others are our plucky crew from before: Finn, Rose, Poe, maybe a few other characters that you'll never remember the name of. (Side note: it's true. You can tell me who IG-88 is, but I bet you can't tell me anyone in Maz Kanata's cantina other than the lead characters, right? Hell, you might not even remember Rose's sister's name. I sure as hell don't. I don't even remember Benicio Del Toro's character's name. Do you?)

Leia is sick. Maybe she dies right here, or maybe they wait until later for an emotional punch.

General Hux wants to overthrow Kylo Ren, but he can't, because he's a wimp. Ren is probably going through some sort of psychic connection of his own, drawing him toward what will later be revealed as the ruins of the Death Star from Endor. Palpatine is that voice in his head manipulating him.

Rey starts getting the same ideas going on about trying to reach this nexus point, while Poe and Finn and company are focused a little more on the battle with the First Order so they have something to do. Hopefully, they'll all stick together for most of the movie this time and not split up. It's nice if characters interact with each other.

Kylo Ren comes in contact with Palpatine. He's alive. Whaaaaat. If we're lucky, they'll say he was behind Snoke from the start and that he was just a pawn so that his death is a tad more forgivable in retrospect (even though we all know that's just cover-up). Maybe we're even lucky enough to get a justification of why Ben Solo is evil by having Palpatine be the one warping him so that he wasn't in control of his actions, instead of him being a moody dickhead emo.

The Resistance is given some knowledge about all this from an unknown source. They try to track down the same information and deal with some people along the way to get there. Kerri Russell's character is one of them. Lando and his daughter is another.

Maybe this is when they need to hook C-3PO up to the device that, rumor has it, wipes his memory. RIP Threepio, but these legacy characters need to go.

There's an attack on the heroes. Maybe this is when Chewbacca bites the bullet.

Blah blah blah. They do the whole heist thing in a way where they're looking for a way to find Palpatine. It turns out their contact within the First Order is Hux. He's killed for being a traitor.

Eventually, they reach that point and there's a big space battle at the same time as Kylo, Rey and Palpatine are in a throne room. It's just Return of the Jedi again. It turns out Rey is Palpatine's clone or daughter or granddaughter or some kind of lineage like that. She's related to Palpatine and he wants her and Kylo to unify for the Dark Side.

They fight. Kylo struggles with some feelings of the Light, maybe some visions, too. They all wax poetic about the inevitability of power corrupting people, having the will not to succumb to it, etc. He starts to suck life out of the two of them.

Knowing the way these films are going, they'll kill Ben. After all, Rey's the one they want to be the hero and he stands in her way. I wouldn't be shocked at all if he's just punked out, but maybe he comes back in the finale.

The space battle has its struggles, but the heroes win, by the way.

The finale is that Rey summons a bunch of our favorite heroes from the past via The Force. It's Luke, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Leia, Yoda, Qui-Gon and, again, if we're lucky, Ben Solo. The combined efforts of all them essentially praying is what "brings balance to The Force" like a sort of exorcism.

At the end, Rey chooses to go by the name Rey Skywalker, and/or the new name for Jedi is that they're called Skywalkers. Big celebration. The end.

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be tackling one of the many sequels to my favorite movie of all time (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), which is the upcoming Terminator: Dark Fate.

Oh boy...you're not going to like this one, and neither am I...

The movie starts with either the typical recap of the Skynet future or we jump right into T2.

A terminator (Carl) kills John Connor. Mabye they show that he was a senator like in the other ending (the GOOD ending of this franchise). Maybe he's a junkie loser like in Rise of the Machines. More likely, though, knowing that there's a little kid in this film for reference, it'll probably be the young John from right after T2.

The point is, they're totally going to kill off John because this entire movie is going to be about beating you over the head with this concept of female empowerment and a "changing of the guard" like The Force Awakens / The Last Jedi where everything is a copycat of what it was before, but this time, they make the original character that was the savior a waste of space because they want to bring in a new character as the real savior.

Sarah spends the rest of her life not knowing what to do. John's dead. No Judgment Day. She has no purpose, other than hunting down terminators. Maybe Carl is the one that killed John and he has no purpose, either, and they see eye to eye like that. It'll be stupid, but this movie is going to be stupid, so I'm not counting anything out.

We're introduced to Dani Ramos. She's either a spitfire and TOTES TOUGH and can handle herself and has no real progression throughout the film because they're too afraid of making her appear weak, or she's a carbon copy of the Sarah Connor treatment in that she's the one at first who is screaming and needs protection until she bucks up.

She has a brother. Who cares?

She's attacked by Gabriel Luna's character. Surprise, he's a terminator. What the fuck is a terminator? Well, to explain that, here's the new modified cyborg woman Grace to explain the new future and how things have changed.

They "only postponed" Judgment Day, like before, and changed the details. Now, it's not Skynet, it's something else. With John dead, Dani is the new savior. Skynet 2.0 is SO MUCH WORSE YOU GUYS because they tell us it is.

Note: This is when everyone should realize that they just want to reskin the previous thing and say that their idea is even better, exactly like Star Wars has.

What is fundamentally the difference between John and the new protagonist? She's new, younger and a Latina woman. What's different between Skynet 2.0 and Skynet? Nothing, just like how The First Order is 100% the Empire. What's the difference between Grace and Arnold's T2 terminator? At its core, nothing, because both are just "robot thing that protects the hero". But Grace is a woman, so there's a sisterhood going on with her, Dani and Sarah. I wouldn't even be surprised if they say something about how in the future, they don't need men. At least they do have one difference in that one is an enhanced human and the other is an android, but that alone is like saying we should make a whole movie around remaking Terminator 3 and keep all the details the same except this time, Kate Brewster can be a human doctor instead of a vet. WHOLE DIFFERENT MOVIE GUYS, SERIOUSLY...

Anyway, back on track.

So they fight and fight and fight. Arnold's terminator sacrifices himself I guess, or Sarah does. Or both. Probably Arnold, because that way, they don't kill off one of the female characters and they can keep Sarah for another film if they're able to do another one. It's easier to kill Arnold because they can always have another and bring him back if they want, but they've killed Sarah multiple times before, too, and whatever. She's the one that makes the most sense as far as having it hit the audience harder, so let's predict that she's bites the bullet.

They kill the Gabriel Luna.

Ominous thing about how the future isn't certain but with the new savior of humanity now all tough and determined, she'll be ready to fight.

MAYBE if they want to backtrack on this, they tease something about John Connor still possibly being alive so that they can have a sequel where he's taking on Sarah's spot as the guide to help them out and possibly die. That's if they didn't do something blatant like have Carl take a shotgun and blow his head off.

Terminator theme plays in the credits, if we're lucky. Maybe not anywhere else in the movie.

Everyone watching goes "ugh...well, it wasn't as bad as that Genisys title or T3, but it still sucks compared to T1 and T2" and we continue the cycle of bad Terminator films and I die a little more inside, and if you complain about it, you're clearly only hating it because you obviously hate women—not that you could ever be opposed to the idea of taking a movie and going against its whole purpose to copy and paste it purely for the sake of unoriginality and trying to appeal to "woke culture" stuff and mask your negative reviews with a shield of #feminism.

There is no fate but what we make for ourselves. It's a shame this franchise was perfect and chose to take a dark fate of bad sequels to ruin it and make the ratio more bad films than good ones.

I'll say it right now: if this movie is nothing but a thinly-veiled excuse to say "the future is female" and literally serves no purpose but to replace John Connor with Dani Ramos because she happens to be Latina, I don't think I'll even bother doing a Reviewpoint.

Welcome to another edition of Predicting the Plot wherein I try my best to guess how an upcoming movie is going to play out from start to finish with as many details as I can possibly give, based entirely on the previews and lead-up material I've seen.

I might be dead wrong. I may get some things right. In any way, I encourage you to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

For this edition, I'll be tackling my fan theory of what Todd Phillips is bringing us with the upcoming movie Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic Clown Prince of Crime...maybe.

It's important to note that I haven't seen The King of Comedy, which I feel this will take some inspiration from. I have seen Taxi Driver, though, many many moons ago.

So let's start with the synopsis we've been given:

Failed comedian Arthur Fleck encounters violent thugs while wandering the streets of Gotham City dressed as a clown. Disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow dissent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.

The movie starts with Arthur as a boy. His mom Penny (Frances Conroy) and dad are weird, at best. They could be the argumentative type and his dad could be abusive. Or, perhaps they even skip that and show that he and his mom are alone because his dad left them. Remember this idea and keep in mind the concept of a stepfather.

Penny has ticks or is psychotic or schizophrenic or something that we can attribute to her genetics passing on a predisposition to Arthur that he's going to have to grow up with, and we can already tell that as a boy, he has his social problems and such. This could be when he first manifests his Pseudobulbar affect (ie, how he laughs uncontrollably at random times when stressed).

Arthur is fixated on comedians. That calms him down. One of them is his idol, Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro).

Arthur wants to be a stand-up comic, but he sucks at it. He tries to go on stage, but gets heckled and possibly even abused in some fashion. We know at some point, he's dressed as a clown, spinning a sign and gets picked on and beaten up, so this seems to be a run of the mill type thing. He's a loser, and that's going to weigh on him.

Over the years, Penny got so bad that she had to be transferred to Arkham Asylum, and/or Arthur has to receive check-ups. I don't see a doctor on the cast list, so I don't think Arthur is seeing a physician for a bunch of times in the movie, but we do see "Arkham State Hospital Clerk" played by Brian Tyree Henry. He's a name, so that must mean he's in at least a handful of scenes and is probably the go-to person to talk to when Arthur visits his mom.

Somewhere along the way, Arthur starts flirting with Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz) even if she's not flirting back. Whether it's mutual and he screws it up or it's one-sided and she eventually has to tell him she's not interested, the point is that his love life goals will be shattered toward the breaking point.

Meanwhile, Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen)—who, in this version, instead of being a humanitarian and younger, is an older Donald Trump type playboy asshole politician—is running for office and is all the talk. Arthur gets the idea in his mind that Wayne is his father. He even meets up with Young Bruce Wayne (Dante Pereira-Olson) and that's where we have that scene of the two at the gate of Wayne Manor. Arthur thinks Bruce is his younger brother.

He isn't. Thomas Wayne isn't his father. His mother just made that up to either give him a false sense of value, or she's so deluded that she believed it herself, but it isn't true. None of this is true. Arthur is just a failure and a mistake.

So he snaps. He becomes The Joker and gets on television and kills everyone. This incites revolution and everyone maybe even kills Thomas Wayne, if Arthur hasn't already done that. The end.

If there's anything after that, if we're lucky, it would be really cool for them to show someone in a Batman costume and Joker being arrested or something. Then, there's some sort of tease that none of this was real and he tosses out the line about how if he'd like to have a past, he'd like for it to be multiple choice, and the whole thing is basically bullshit because The Joker doesn't have an origin story and it wouldn't make any sense for him to be 30+ years older than Batman, nor for Bruce to have a father who is 63 around the time Thomas and Martha are killed as they're normally around 30-40 range...50 max.

Either the whole movie is meaningless, or it ends with him becoming The Joker in a metaphorical sense and not obviously actually the character that fights Batman, as there isn't a Batman, and it's just a film about the interesting villain without having to frame it in the context of what makes Joker who he is, similar to how if someone wrote a movie about Edward Nygma being into riddles and becoming a criminal that the GCPD try to stop, but can't, and there's no Batman. Or, if there was a movie about Doomsday destroying the world without a Superman (ie, any monster movie that has ever existed that ends in gloom).

The 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will take place September 22, 2019 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles California, broadcast by Fox.

Here is a list of the nominees in all of the categories.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Barry (HBO)
Fleabag (Amazon)
The Good Place (NBC)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Russian Doll (Netflix)
Schitt's Creek (Pop)
Veep (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)
Bodyguard (Netflix)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Killing Eve (BBC America)
Ozark (Netflix)
Pose (FX)
Succession (HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV)
Documentary Now! (IFC)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Who Is America? (Showtime)

Outstanding Limited Series

Chernobyl (HBO)
Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Sharp Objects (HBO)
When They See Us (Netflix)

Outstanding Television Movie

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Netflix)
Brexit (HBO)
Deadwood (HBO)
King Lear (Prime Video)
My Dinner With Hervé (HBO)

Outstanding Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
Nailed It! (Netflix)
RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)


Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (ABC)
Don Cheadle as Mo Monroe on Black Monday (Showtime)
Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (NBC)
Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky on The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block on Barry (HBO)
Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate as Jen Harding on Dead to Me (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep (HBO)
Natasha Lyonne as Nadia Vulvokov on Russian Doll (Netflix)
Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek (Pop)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag on Fleabag (Amazon)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman as Martin "Marty" Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Kit Harington as Jon Snow on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman on Better Call Saul (AMC)
Billy Porter as Pray Tell on Pose (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Jodie Comer as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood on House of Cards (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Mahershala Ali as Wayne Hays on True Detective (HBO)
Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe on A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Benicio del Toro as Richard Matt in Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Jared Harris as Valery Legasov in Chernobyl (HBO)
Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise in When They See Us (Netflix)
Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse in Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Amy Adams as Camille Preaker on Sharp Objects (HBO)
Patricia Arquette as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell on Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Aunjanue Ellis as Sharonne Salaam on When They See Us (Netflix)
Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard on The Act (Hulu)
Niecy Nash as Delores Wise on When They See Us (Netflix)
Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon on Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander in The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank in Barry (HBO)
Tony Hale as Gary Walsh in Veep (HBO)
Stephen Root as Monroe Fuches in Barry (HBO)
Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau in Barry (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer in Veep (HBO)
Sian Clifford as Claire in Fleabag (Amazon)
Olivia Colman as Godmother in Fleabag (Amazon)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie Eagan in GLOW (Netflix)
Sarah Goldberg as Sally Reed in Barry (HBO)
Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Kate McKinnon as various characters in Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring in Better Call Saul (AMC)
Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper in House of Cards (Netflix)
Chris Sullivan as Toby Damon in This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore in Ozark (Netflix)
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve (BBC America)
Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones (HBO)
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Asante Blackk as Kevin Richardson in When They See Us (Netflix)
Paul Dano as David Sweat in Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
John Leguizamo as Raymond Santana, Sr. in When They See Us (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård as Boris Shcherbina in Chernobyl (HBO)
Ben Whishaw as Norman Josiffe / Norman Scott in A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Michael K. Williams as Bobby McCray in When They See Us (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee Blanchard on The Act (Hulu)
Marsha Stephanie Blake as Linda McCray on When They See Us (Netflix)
Patricia Clarkson as Adora Crellin on Sharp Objects (HBO)
Vera Farmiga as Elizabeth Lederer on When They See Us (Netflix)
Margaret Qualley as Ann Reinking on Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Emily Watson as Ulana Khomyuk on Chernobyl (HBO)


Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Barry (Episode: "The Audition"), directed by Alec Berg (HBO)
Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily"), directed by Bill Hader (HBO)
The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Stockholm Syndrome"), directed by Mark Cendrowski (CBS)
Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), directed by Harry Bradbeer (Amazon)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "All Alone"), directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Amazon)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "We're Going to the Catskills!"), directed by Daniel Palladino (Amazon)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Last of the Starks"), directed by David Nutter (HBO)
Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night"), directed by Miguel Sapochnik (HBO)
Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Iron Throne"), directed by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (HBO)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Holly"), directed by Daina Reid (Hulu)
Killing Eve (Episode: "Desperate Times"), directed by Lisa Brühlmann (BBC America)
Ozark (Episode: "Reparations"), directed by Jason Bateman (Netflix)
Succession (Episode: "Celebration"), directed by Adam McKay (HBO)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool, directed by Ben Winston (CBS)
Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, directed by Ed Burke and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Netflix)
Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All In The Family' And 'The Jeffersons', directed by James Burrows and Andy Fisher (ABC)
Springsteen On Broadway, directed by Thom Zimny (Netflix)
The Oscars, directed by Glenn Weiss (ABC)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

Documentary Now! (Episode: "Waiting for the Artist"), directed by Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas (IFC)
Drunk History (Episode: "Are You Afraid of the Drunk?"), directed by Derek Waters (Comedy Central)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Psychics"), directed by Paul Pennolino (HBO)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Live Midterm Election Show") directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Adam Sandler"), directed by Don Roy King (NBC)
Who Is America? (Episode: "Episode 102"), directed by Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino, and Dan Mazer (Showtime)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Chernobyl, directed by Johan Renck (HBO)
Escape at Dannemora, directed by Ben Stiller (Showtime)
Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Glory"), directed by Jessica Yu (FX)
Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Who's Got the Pain"), directed by Thomas Kail (FX)
A Very English Scandal, directed by Stephen Frears (Amazon)
When They See Us, directed by Ava DuVernay (Netflix)


Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily"), written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader (HBO)
Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1"), written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Amazon)
PEN15 (Episode: "Anna Ishii-Peters"), written by Maya Erskine & Anna Konkle (Hulu)
Russian Doll (Episode: "Nothing In This World Is Easy"), written by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, & Amy Poehler (Netflix)
Russian Doll (Episode: "A Warm Body"), written by Allison Silverman (Netflix)
The Good Place (Episode: "Janet(s)"), written by Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan (NBC)
Veep (Episode: "Veep"), written by David Mandel (HBO)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Better Call Saul (Episode: "Winner"), written by Peter Gould & Thomas Schnauz (AMC)
Bodyguard (Episode: "Episode 1"), written by Jed Mercurio (Netflix)
Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Iron Throne"), written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (HBO)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Holly"), written by Bruce Miller & Kira Snyder (Hulu)
Killing Eve (Episode: "Nice and Neat"), written by Emerald Fennell (BBC America)
Succession (Episode: "Nobody Is Ever Missing"), written by Jesse Armstrong (HBO)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh, written by Adam Sandler (Netflix)
Amy Schumer Growing, written by Amy Schumer (Netflix)
Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool (CBS)
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette, written by Hannah Gadsby (Netflix)
Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, written by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Netflix)
Wanda Sykes: Not Normal, written by Wanda Sykes (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

Documentary Now! (IFC)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Chernobyl, written by Craig Mazin (HBO)
Escape at Dannemora (Episode: "Part 6"), written by Brett Johnson & Michael Tolkin & Jerry Stahl (Showtime)
Escape at Dannemora (Episode: "Part 7"), written by Brett Johnson & Michael Tolkin (Showtime)
Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Providence"), written by Joel Fields & Steven Levenson (FX)
A Very English Scandal, written by Russell T Davies (Amazon)
When They See Us (Episode: "Part Four"), written by Ava DuVernay & Michael Starrbury (Netflix)

The latest and last of the X-Men films, according to promotional material, which conveniently ignores the whole New Mutants thing that should totally just go to Hulu and not attempt a theatrical run, will be Dark Phoenix, which premieres tomorrow.

I'll be having my Reviewpoint for it as soon as I can after watching it tomorrow night, but by all accounts, it seems like this is going to be a train wreck, and not just in the finale.

I've been wanting to pump out more content here for Fanboys Anonymous, and I figured now is the best time to debut one of the new segments I've been working on, dubbed Predicting the Plot.

How this works is pretty simple: I'll be taking an upcoming film and giving my fan theories on how I think the movie will go down, from start to finish, with as many details as I possibly can give, based entirely on the previews that I've seen and my predictions. I might be dead wrong, but I might get a lot of things correct, and I encourage you all to give your predictions just the same in the comments below.

So without further ado, let's kick things off by trying to figure out what is going to happen in Dark Phoenix.

The movie starts with Professor Xavier giving a monologue about human evolution and mutation, possibly tying it in with the celestial aspect of things. I'm expecting something like "Since the dawn of time, humans have looked to the stars for knowledge of the gods" along with an ominous message foreshadowing how Jean Grey is totally going to be possessed by this godly force of nature. Cut to the opening credits of the bitchin' X-Men theme that is the second best one out there, as the '90s animated theme is still the top dog.

This transitions to either everyone at the X-Mansion receiving word of the mission to save the astronauts, or possibly the problem with the astronauts themselves. The point is, some astronauts get messed up in space and the X-Men step in to help. Maybe there's a scene beforehand or in-between this that deals with the public perception of them as superheroes that explains why they would go on this mission (either to help convince people they're here to help, or because people already like them and they actively reach out to ask for help).

One way or another, within the first 20 minutes of the movie, the X-Men are in space and saving the astronauts. A solar flare puts everyone in danger and Jean absorbs it. Everyone's confused about what happened and how she was able to survive that.

She gets checked out by Hank McCoy and they find out that she's okay, but her power levels are spiking. They're off the charts! Whatever happened up there magnified her mutant abilities and she's in danger of going out of control. But nah, she's cool, she's Jean and she's our family. No need to worry.

Let's spend some time with Magneto on Genosha. He's got a sanctuary for mutants going on. Hopefully, this isn't a total repeat of the last film and we don't just see a bunch of these mutants get killed as a motivator for him to rejoin the action, but I think that will happen later.

Jean starts acting weird and everyone begins to notice and get skeptical about her losing control, as she starts talking to Jessica Chastain, who is this manifestation of the Phoenix Force in her mind that they can't see. Maybe Charles can see it. Maybe he can't connect with her because she's blocking him out.

By the 1/4 mark of the movie or so, Jean is back in her childhood home. That's where we see that she's causing a ruckus and the X-Men step in to try to stop her. POOF! Mystique is killed! Oh no!

Jean runs off and has that scene where she's crying in the alley, asking "Why did you make me do that? She was my friend." Chastain's character keeps feeding her b.s. about how the X-Men fear her power and so on.

Mourning for Mystique. Some are just sad, while some are angry and want to kill Jean in retaliation. Beast is one of the people who is against Jean. Scott is, naturally, on the side of "no, she's still Jean and she can be redeemed, because this wasn't her fault." If Magneto isn't already brought back into the mix yet, this is where he comes in, recruited by Beast and whoever else (Storm?) feels like they need Magneto's help to take her down.

We basically kill time for a while until the end battle. I'd be really surprised if there are any extra elements to this plot, like if Omega Red stops by to say hello, or if Mr. Sinister is part of this. I know that they've already tried to set up Essex, but I feel like that thread will just be ignored.

There must be some sort of grand scheme of Chastain's character. Maybe she just wants to destroy the entirety of Earth. Maybe she has no fight in this whole human/mutant thing. Maybe this ties into the Shi'ar Empire, but I doubt it. (Side note: remember when people thought she would be a Skrull?) Anyway, whatever her plan is, she's using Jean as a conduit and playing puppet-master to control her into doing her bidding.

There needs to be some sort of mooks for the X-Men to fight. I'm assuming an invading species of aliens that Chastain's character controls.

For the life of me, I don't know how this movie went from having an ending that took place in space to something that's now a train derailment. That seems like such a big departure. But I assume whatever the impetus for that is, the end result stays the same, in that Jean sacrifices herself to take out the alien threat (namely Chastain's character) and the movie ends with everyone mourning her and honoring her in some fashion.

If they're particularly ambitious, they'll do something like have Jean's consciousness enter the body of someone named Madelyne Pryor, similar to what they did with Xavier in The Last Stand, and/or they'll tease the Shi'ar Empire and the M'Kraan Crystal.

The 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be hosted by Michael Che and Colin Jost on September 17, 2018 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles California, broadcast by NBC.

Here is a list of the nominees in all of the categories.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Atlanta (FX)
Barry (HBO)
Black-ish (ABC)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
GLOW (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

The Americans (FX)
The Crown (Netflix)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
This Is Us (NBC)
Westworld (HBO)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu)
Portlandia (IFC)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tracey Ullman's Show (HBO)

Outstanding Limited Series

The Alienist (TNT)
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Genius: Picasso (Nat Geo)
Godless (Netflix)
Patrick Melrose (Showtime)

Outstanding Television Movie

Black Mirror: "USS Callister" (Netflix)
Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Flint (Lifetime)
Paterno (HBO)
The Tale (HBO)

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
Project Runway (Lifetime)
RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)


Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (ABC)
Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (NBC)
Larry David as Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks on Atlanta (FX)
Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block on Barry (HBO)
William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher on Shameless (Showtime)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox on Better Things (FX)
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom (CBS)
Issa Rae as Issa Dee on Insecure (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (ABC)
Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein on Grace and Frankie (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Ed Harris as The Man in Black on Westworld (HBO)
Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings on The Americans (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe on Westworld (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown (Netflix)
Tatiana Maslany as Various Characters on Orphan Black (BBC America)
Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve (BBC America)
Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings on The Americans (FX)
Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy on Westworld (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso on Genius: Picasso (Nat Geo)
Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick Melrose on Patrick Melrose (Showtime)
Jeff Daniels as John O. Neill on The Looming Tower (Hulu)
John Legend as Jesus Christ on Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Jesse Plemons as Captain Robert Daly on Black Mirror: "USS Callister" (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Jessica Biel as Cora Tannetti on The Sinner (USA)
Laura Dern as Jennifer Fox on The Tale (HBO)
Michelle Dockery as Alice Fletcher on Godless (Netflix)
Edie Falco as Leslie Abramson on Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC)
Regina King as Latrice Butler on Seven Seconds (Netflix)
Sarah Paulson as Ally Mayfair-Richards on American Horror Story: Cult (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets on Baskets (FX)
Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Atlanta (FX)
Tony Shalhoub as Abraham "Abe" Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau on Barry (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Zazie Beetz as Vanessa "Van" Keefer on Atlanta (FX)
Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Aidy Bryant as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Betty Gilpin as Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan on GLOW (Netflix)
Leslie Jones as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris on Roseanne (ABC)
Megan Mullally as Karen Walker on Will & Grace (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
David Harbour as Jim Hopper on Stranger Things (Netflix)
Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson on Homeland (Showtime)
Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Alexis Bledel as Emily / Ofsteven on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven on Stranger Things (Netflix)
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret on The Crown (Netflix)
Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay on Westworld (HBO)
Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford on The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeff Daniels as Frank Griffin on Godless (Netflix)
Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas Iscariot on Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
John Leguizamo as Jacob Vazquez on Waco (Paramount Network)
Ricky Martin as Antonio D'Amico on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Édgar Ramírez as Gianni Versace on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Michael Stuhlbarg as Richard Clarke on The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Finn Wittrock as Jeffrey Trail on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene on Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Penélope Cruz as Donatella Versace on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Judith Light as Marilyn Miglin on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Adina Porter as Beverly Hope on American Horror Story: Cult (FX)
Merritt Wever as Mary Agnes McNue on Godless (Netflix)
Letitia Wright as Nish on Black Mirror: "Black Museum" (Netflix)


Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Atlanta (Episode: "FUBU"), Directed by Donald Glover (FX)
Atlanta (Episode: "Teddy Perkins"), Directed by Hiro Murai (FX)
Barry (Episode: "Chapter One: Make Your Mark"), Directed by Bill Hader (HBO)
GLOW (Episode: "Pilot"), Directed by Jesse Peretz (Netflix)
Silicon Valley (Episode: "Initial Coin Offering"), Directed by Mike Judge (HBO)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Pilot"), Directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Amazon)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

The Crown (Episode: "Paterfamilias"), Directed by Stephen Daldry (Netflix)
Game of Thrones (Episode: "Beyond the Wall"), Directed by Alan Taylor (HBO)
Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf"), Directed by Jeremy Podeswa (HBO)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "After"), Directed by Kari Skogland (Hulu)
Ozark (Episode: "The Toll"), Directed by Jason Bateman (Netflix)
Ozark (Episode: "Tonight We Improve"), Directed by Daniel Sackheim (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Nine: The Gate"), Directed by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (Episode: "Episode 2061"), Directed by Andre Allen (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Episode 421"), Directed by Paul Pennolino (HBO)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (Episode: "Episode 0416"), Directed by Tim Mancinelli (CBS)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Episode 438"), Directed by Jim Hoskinson (CBS)
Portlandia (Episode: "Riot Spray"), Directed by Carrie Brownstein (IFC)
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover"), Directed by Don Roy King (NBC)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (Episode: "The Man Who Would Be Vogue"), Directed by Ryan Murphy (FX)
Godless, Directed by Scott Frank (Netflix)
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, Directed by David Leveaux & Alex Rudzinski (NBC)
The Looming Tower (Episode: "9/11"), Directed by Craig Zisk (Hulu)
Paterno, Directed by Barry Levinson (HBO)
Patrick Melrose, Directed by Edward Berger (Showtime)
Twin Peaks, Directed by David Lynch (Showtime)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Big Little Lies, Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (HBO)
Fargo (Episode: "The Law of Vacant Places"), Directed by Noah Hawley (FX)
Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "And The Winner Is… (The Oscars of 1963)"), Directed by Ryan Murphy (FX)
Genius (Episode: "Einstein: Chapter One"), Directed by Ron Howard (National Geographic)
The Night Of (Episode: "The Art of War"), Directed by James Marsh (HBO)
The Night Of (Episode: "The Beach"), Directed by Steve Zaillian (HBO)


Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Atlanta (Episode: "Alligator Man"), Written by Donald Glover (FX)
Atlanta (Episode: "Barbershop"), Written by Stefani Robinson (FX)
Barry (Episode: "Chapter One: Make Your Mark"), Written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader (HBO)
Barry (Episode: "Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast and Keep Going"), Written by Liz Sarnoff (HBO)
Silicon Valley (Episode: "Fifty-One Percent"), Written by Alec Berg (HBO)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Pilot"), Written by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Amazon)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Americans (Episode: "START"), Written by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (FX)
The Crown (Episode: "Mystery Man"), Written by Peter Morgan (Netflix)
Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf"), Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss (HBO)
The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "June"), Written by Bruce Miller (Hulu)
Killing Eve (Episode: "Nice Face"), Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (BBC America)
Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Nine: The Gate"), Written by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's Complicated) (TBS)
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, Written by John Mulaney (Netflix)
Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady, Written by Michelle Wolf (HBO)
Patton Oswalt: Annihilation, Written by Patton Oswalt (Netflix)
Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life, Written by Steve Martin & Martin Short (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

American Vandal (Episode: "Clean Up"), Written by Matthew McManus & Kevin McManus (Netflix)
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (Episode: "House by the Lake"), Written by Tom Rob Smith (FX)
Black Mirror: USS Callister, Written by Charlie Brooker & William Bridges (Netflix)
Godless, Written by Scott Frank (Netflix)
Patrick Melrose, Written by David Nicholls (Showtime)
Twin Peaks, Written by Mark Frost & David Lynch (Showtime)

Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (Episode: "Southern Italy"), Written by Anthony Bourdain (CNN)
The Defiant Ones (Episode 1), Written by Allen Hughes, Lasse Järvi, and Doug Pray (HBO)
Icarus, Written by Bryan Fogel, Mark Monroe, and Jon Bertain (Netflix)
Jane, Written by Brett Morgen (National Geographic)
Mister Rogers: It's You I Like, Written by JoAnn Young (PBS)
The Vietnam War (Episode 8: "The History of the World (April 1969-May 1970)"), Written by Geoffrey C. Ward (PBS)